Extending our commitment

Telefónica uses a number of instruments to transmit environmental guidelines and information to the various stakeholders.

The aim is to improve the company's environmental management while suitably addressing stakeholder concerns. Telefónica extends its environmental commitment in the following ways:

Suppliers

Conveying our requirements to suppliers and contractors is key to ensuring appropriate environmental management. Telefónica incorporates environmental clauses into all its contracts and provides environmental training. In 2008, the company taught 3,232 training hours aimed at suppliers.

Moreover, Telefónica addresses environmental issues in its Responsible procurement project. Last year we asked over 1,100 of our suppliers to complete a Corporate Social Responsibility assessment questionnaire.

Customers

To raise public awareness of environmental issues and reduce the environmental impact of the products Telefónica places on the market, we undertake a range of environment-related campaigns.

Employees

We continued environmental training and awareness-raising aimed at Telefónica Group employees. We taught 34,607 environmental training hours, and 90% of Group companies ran awareness campaigns.

The community

Telefónica sponsored a wide range of environmental initiatives. In 2008, Telefónica lent its support to 51 environmental projects.

Expand Customers

Over the course of 2008 we sought to raise the environmental awareness of our customers and the wider community. Highlights included a mobile phone and battery recycling campaign in Colombia, Punto Radio's "green tour", or the launch of an eco-friendly handset in Spain. And we continued to encourage customers to elect electronic billing - 78 million had made this choice by the end of the year.

Expand Employees

At Telefónica, we think we should promulgate the company's environmental commitment among all our stakeholders, and particularly employees, who number 257,000 people across the Group. One of the key ways of attaining this goal is to conduct in-company campaigns to raise environmental awareness, such as the initiatives set in motion in Germany, the Isle of Man and Colombia.